Legal Insights
Plain-language guides and case briefs on Philippine law — researched from the firm's law library of 184,000+ statutes, Supreme Court decisions, and agency issuances, and written so non-lawyers can understand and act on them.
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When a "Retainership" Is Really Employment: The Control Test and Security of Tenure
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when a retainership agreement masks an employer-employee relationship, applying the control test to protect security of tenure.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Upholding Employee Rights Against Unsubstantiated Claims
Employers cannot dismiss on loss of trust without proof. Learn the legal requisites from a 2016 Supreme Court ruling.
Employer Liability for Vehicle Accidents: When Is an Employee Acting Within the Scope of Employment?
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when employers are liable for vehicle accidents caused by employees acting outside their assigned tasks.
Fixed-Term Employment vs Regular Employment: Security of Tenure Under the Labor Code
Explaining Oyster Plaza Hotel v. Melivo on when fixed-term and probationary workers become regular employees entitled to security of tenure.
Corporate Mergers and Employee Rights: Understanding Job Security in the Philippines
Philippine Supreme Court rules that corporate mergers do not terminate employees' jobs; absorbed workers continue employment with the surviving corporation.
Forum Shopping AND Dismissal Safeguarding Judicial Efficiency IN Employment Disputes
Project Employees: When Length of Service Does Not Mean Regular Employment
Supreme Court clarifies that project employees may be validly terminated upon project completion, even after years of continuous service.
Project vs Regular Employment: Understanding Security of Tenure in the Philippines
The Supreme Court explains when project employees become regular workers and how security of tenure applies in Philippine construction labor law.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Upholding Termination for Misconduct
The Supreme Court explains when loss of trust and confidence justifies dismissing an employee, even without a criminal conviction.
Conditional Employment Offers and When No Employer-Employee Relationship Exists
The Supreme Court clarifies when a conditional job offer, subject to background checks, does not create an employer-employee relationship.
Due Process in Employment Termination: Balancing Cause and Procedure
The Supreme Court clarifies that dismissals with just cause remain valid even without procedural due process, but employers must pay nominal damages.
Forfeiture Clauses Balancing Employer Protection AND Employee Rights IN Commission Disputes
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when commission forfeiture clauses in employment contracts are valid and enforceable.
Misconduct in the Workplace: Defining the Boundaries of Trust and Employment
Philippine Supreme Court ruling clarifies when serious misconduct justifies dismissal and the evidentiary standard employers must meet.
Procedural Due Process in Employment Termination: The Right to a Hearing
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies that employers must provide a hearing or conference, not just written notices, before validly dismissing employees.
Seafarer Disability Claims: Why Substantial Evidence and the 3-Day Medical Exam Rule Matter
A Supreme Court ruling explains why seafarers must comply with the mandatory post-employment medical exam and prove work-related illness with substantial evidence.
Breach of Trust in Employment: When It Justifies Termination
The Supreme Court clarifies when loss of trust and confidence can justify dismissing a managerial employee, and when it cannot.
COLA Benefits and Government Employment: Understanding Integrated Salaries Under R.A. 6758
The Supreme Court clarifies when Cost of Living Allowance is deemed integrated into government salaries under R.A. 6758, and why back pay is unauthorized.
Fixed-Term Contracts: Balancing Employer Flexibility and Employee Security of Tenure
Philippine Supreme Court clarifies when fixed-term employment contracts are valid and do not circumvent security of tenure.
Fixed-Term Employment: When Repeated Contract Renewals Create Regular Employee Status
Philippine Supreme Court ruling on when repeated fixed-term contract renewals convert employees to regular status with security of tenure.
Lawyer Suspended for Misconduct and Disobedience to Court Orders
Supreme Court suspends lawyer for two years for misrepresentation, improper language, and defying a court-imposed ban on government reemployment.
Illegal Recruitment: When Promising Overseas Jobs Without a License Becomes a Crime
The Supreme Court clarifies when promising overseas employment without a license constitutes illegal recruitment in large scale under Philippine law.
Breach of Trust in Employment: Requisites for Valid Dismissal in the Philippines
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when breach of trust justifies dismissal and what due process requires in Philippine labor law.
Finality vs Due Process: Resolving Conflicting Rulings on Employment Status
A Supreme Court ruling clarifies when NLRC monetary awards become final, and why a valid dismissal still requires procedural due process.
Regular vs Seasonal Employment: Security of Tenure in the Plywood Industry
Supreme Court clarifies when workers, claiming they were hired only when there was high demand for plywood or when regular employees were absent.